An overnight Russian drone and missile strike targeted three Ukrainian energy transmission facilities, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said on Sept. 26.
“But the Russian terrorists did not achieve their goals — Ukraine’s energy system is operating in a balanced mode, no power cuts are planned,” he added in a post on Telegram.
Shmyhal said one of the facilities targeted was in Mykolaiv Oblast in southern Ukraine, but did not specify the location of the other two.
Ukrainian forces downed 66 out of 78 Shahed-type drones and four Kh-59/69 cruise missiles launched by Russia overnight from, the Air Force reported.
Eight more drones were “lost” in a few regions and another one “went back to Russia,” it added.
On the morning of Sept. 26, Russian forces also launched three Kinzhal ballistic missiles.
Russia launched nine coordinated attacks against Ukraine’s electricity infrastructure between March and August, striking facilities in 20 oblasts, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Sept. 25 during his speech at the U.N. General Assembly in New York.
“This is how Putin is preparing for winter — hoping to torment millions, millions of Ukrainians… Ordinary families — women, children… Ordinary towns, ordinary villages,” Zelensky said.
According to an International Energy Agency (IEA) report, Ukraine’s electricity shortage could reach 6 gigawatts this winter as a result of the attacks, which is about one-third of the expected peak demand.
This summer, the power shortage was 2.5 GW when Kyiv was already experiencing long blackouts.
Zelensky told the U.N. Security Council on Sept. 24 that Russia was preparing to target three Ukrainian nuclear power plants.
There are three operating nuclear power plants on the Ukrainian-held territory — the Rivne and Khmelnytskyi plants in the country’s west, and the Pivdennoukrainsk plant in the south. Russia’s regular attacks put their safety in jeopardy by cutting off power to the units.
According to the Energy Ministry, nuclear generation currently accounts for up to 60% of the country’s electricity consumption.
The Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, Europe’s largest nuclear power station, has been under Russian occupation since March 2022.
Explosions reported in Kyiv, but authorities deny Russian attack on capital
Editor’s note: The story was updated with comments by Kyiv authorities. Explosions were reported in Kyiv on the morning of Sept. 26 almost immediately after an air raid alert went off in the city, but authorities later denied Russia had attacked the capital. Ukraine’s Air Force said that the alert